Summary

• McConaughey excels in both comedies and dramas, showcasing his versatility in Hollywood for over 3 decades.
• From a forgettable rom-com phase to an Oscar-winning comeback, McConaughey's career is a rollercoaster of success.
• He continues to explore diverse projects in films and television, never limiting himself to a single genre or platform.

Matthew McConaughey's movies have cemented him as one of the most versatile actors working in Hollywood, maintaining a good balance between comedies and profound dramas. McConaughey has been a major presence in movies since the early '90s, following his breakout performance in the cult classic Dazed and Confused. He became a leading man and then fell into an era of forgettable rom-coms before staging one of the best Hollywood comebacks, leading to his Oscar win in 2014.

The actor has even dabbled in television with McConaughey's True Detective role further signaling his comeback while he may return to the small screen in a new Yellowstone series. He has been open to new film franchises, such as the animated Sing series. Never one to attach himself to a single genre, he has explored many unique projects with several renowned directors, from Martin Scorsese to Christopher Nolan. Even with such a consistent filmography, however, these movies stand out as McConaughey's best.

12 How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (2003)

McConaughey And Kate Hudson Make For An Ideal Rom-Com Match

Although critics weren't overly impressed by How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, given its 43% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience's invigorating response to the movie makes it one of Matthew McConaughey's most memorable romantic comedies. McConaughey and Kate Hudson have wonderful chemistry together in a charming and funny collaboration.

McConaughey plays Benjamin, a man who wants to prove he's capable of making any woman fall in love with him in 10 days. Of course, he meets and instead falls for Hudson's Andie, who is researching how to get a man to leave a woman in 10 days. It is a silly rom-com premise that can be overlooked thanks to the two leads elevating the script and making for a perfect duo.

Available To Stream On Paramount+

11 Sing (2016)

McConaughey Lends His Voice To The Animated Movie Filled With Pop Songs

Matthew McConaughey clearly had fun playing Buster Moon in Sing, but that's not the only reason he decided to come back for a sequel five years later. The original was a massive box office hit, grossing over $600 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). The story of his theater-producer character and friends hosting a singing competition had the potential for many more movies.

Sing delivers an ideal family-friendly watching experience with an ingenious premise of having adorable animals singing popular songs. McConaughey gives all his heart to his performance as the voice of the charismatic koala, which even had him singing "Call Me Maybe" with Scarlett Johansson. Not surprisingly, Sing 3 is on its way.

Available To Stream On Tubi

10 Killer Joe (2011)

McConaughey Plays A Ruthless Killer For Hire

Killer Joe might be an outlier in Matthew McConaughey's movie career, as its violent nature and outrageous dark humor are definitely not for everyone. Still, the always-alluring McConaughey takes the assignment seriously with a distressing performance. Directed by the prestigious William Friedkin, Killer Joe follows McConaughey's titular detective as he accepts the task of killing a drug dealer's evil mother.

McConaughey gives life to another Texan character here, yet Joe is different from any other part he's played, as the role made him engage in some of the most uncomfortable scenes he's ever taken part in. It is often one of the forgotten movies that marked his comeback but features McConaughey's most chilling performance.

Available To Stream On Prime Video

9 Contact (1997)

McConaughey Joins Jodie Foster In The Search For Alien Life

Contact features a sci-fi story mostly grounded in reality while following a scientist forced to challenge her faith and beliefs after successfully tracking alien intelligence. The Carl Sagan adaptation only gets better as time progresses, constantly becoming more relevant year after year.

In the movie, Matthew McConaughey plays a smaller role as one of Jodie Foster's protagonist's love interests, but his character is a key part of an everlasting message about enduring love and faith in times when reality can't be trusted. While it didn't thrive at the box office, Contact is now considered a cult classic among movies about extraterrestrial encounters.

Rent on Apple TV

8 Tropic Thunder (2008)

McConaughey Joins An All-Star Cast In This Hollywood Satire

Tropic Thunder masterfully mixes war themes with comedy despite primarily being a movie about filmmaking. Offering thrilling action scenes with hilarious behind-the-scenes drama, the movie doesn't take itself too seriously. It also features a stellar comedy cast with many big actors, such as Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, and Tom Cruise, all delivering hilarious performances.

Matthew McConaughey gets in on the Hollywood satire as the vain agent to Stiller's needy action movie star. While the movie has plenty of controversy that has followed it around for years, it remains one of the funniest comedies of the 21st century.

Available To Stream On Paramount+

7 The Gentlemen (2019)

McConaughey Leads Guy Ritchie's British Crime Caper

Matthew McConaughey is the perfect actor to star in a Guy Ritchie movie because he knows exactly when to shift from comedy to drama, and The Gentlemen is another Ritchie effort that aims to be more than one thing at once. In the movie, McConaughey plays an American in London eager to cash out of his marijuana empire.

As can be expected from Ritchie, there are plenty of plot twists abounding as many peculiar characters try to get the upper hand over one another. A success among critics and audiences, The Gentlemen offered a satisfying return to form for Richie, stepping back into the British crime world while McConaughey provided a surprisingly effective American movie star flare to the movie.

Rent on Apple TV

6 Lone Star (1996)

McConaughey Plays A Flawed Lawman At The Center Of A Mystery

Matthew McConaughey's character in Lone Star is the controversial local hero Sheriff Buddy Deeds in a neo-Western that jumps between timelines as a mystery unfolds. Possibly the greatest deep cut in McConaughey's career, Lone Star is a modern Western that sets up a murder mystery to uncover a puzzling conspiracy plot.

Under a constant atmosphere of suspicion, the movie offers an intriguing narrative while delving deep into each character's psyche. Although criminally under-seen, Lone Star has 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and is the perfect option for those who enjoy McConaughey's performances in crime thrillers.

Available To Stream On Tubi

5 Dazed And Confused (1992)

The 70s-set Hangout Movie Features McConaughey's Breakout Performance

Dazed and Confused perfectly captures the idiosyncrasies of the '70s through Richard Linklater's slice-of-life story. Taking place over the course of 24 hours, the movie introduces many characters who come in and out of teenagers Floyd and Mitch's sight as they experience an epic hangout on the last day of school: the former as the star football player; the latter as an incoming freshman trying to fit in.

Among other movie star debuts, Dazed and Confused offers Matthew McConaughey's breakthrough performance. He plays Wooderson, a minor yet iconic character who steals every scene he's in and delivers the first taste of what's become McConaughey's most famous line, "Alright, alright, alright."

Rent on Apple TV

4 The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)

McConaughey Steals Scenes In Scorsese's Outrageous R-Rated Comedy

Though he has a small role in Martin Scorsese's wild Wall Street crime story, Matthew McConaughey's chant in The Wolf of Wall Street cemented him as one of the most memorable aspects of the movie. Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the true story of a corrupt New York stockbroker as he rises to the top before being caught in a massive fraud scandal.

In The Wolf of Wall Street, McConaughey is the center of attention whenever he's onscreen with his charismatic yet uncomfortable supporting role as Mark Hanna, a real-life figure who dominated the stock market in the '80s, and the movie could have used more of him. Scorsese brings a vibrant energy and wild sense of humor to the movie that spirals into chaos as it goes.

Available To Stream On Paramount+

3 Mud (2012)

McConaughey Started His Comeback As A Mysterious Drifter

Mud is Matthew McConaughey's highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 97% critic score. It also broke records when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival by registering an 18-minute-long standing ovation. Featuring an outstanding comeback performance from McConaughey, Mud is a surprisingly sweet drama about two boys who befriend a fugitive and help him escape.

The story addresses subtle political themes through its interesting clash of generations, between the boys trying to evade reality and the fugitive trying to outrun his past. McConaughey carries the movie with a succinct performance from beginning to end.

Available To Stream On Max

2 Interstellar (2014)

McConaughey Leads Christopher Nolan's Sci-Fi Drama

Perhaps Matthew McConaughey's most popular work, this subversive sci-fi movie from Christopher Nolan turns out to be much more emotionally powerful than expected. Interstellar owes its tear-jerking power to McConaughey's sensitive performance as a man stuck between doing the right thing for humanity and taking care of his daughter as a competent father.

Between otherworldly landscapes and moments of extreme danger, McConaughey is there to remind the audience that this is a story about humanity and the ties that bind hearts together, regardless of distance and time. In the end, Interstellar shows viewers that love is the only thing that matches the immensity of the universe.

Available To Stream On Prime Video

1 Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

McConaughey Won The Oscar For His Powerful Performance

Dallas Buyers Club feels like a cinematic redemption from Matthew McConaughey since the role is rooted in the actor's personal attachment to Texas and its culture. McConaughey is also virtually unrecognizable as Ron Woodroof, a reckless man who suddenly sees himself working around the U.S. healthcare system after being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

McConaughey's heart-rending lead performance ended up earning him a much-deserved Oscar while the movie was also nominated for Best Picture. Dallas Buyer's Club remains one of the best efforts of the century to expose how unreliable the U.S. healthcare system is and to manifest the importance of sex education in times when ignorance prevails.

Rent on Apple TV